


Code:L

by AceServon



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: AI, Artificial Intelligence, M/M, Mystery, Romance, Technology, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2018-04-07 20:37:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4277112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceServon/pseuds/AceServon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back", that's the lifestyle Shaun Hastings follows. One day, it all turns against him. When Shaun digs into the endless labyrinth of codes in Abstergo Inc's system, he becomes a witness of something rather disturbing...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Press Enter

Our lives are unpredictable, out of control for simple humans. We do not know the future and we can only suppose some things, based on a few observations and facts. Human lives aren't like the weather that meteorologists can predict and put on a scale.   
  
The wind outside the window with lights on at 3am gave away a few creaking sounds, as if threatening to shatter from pressure. It wasn't very common for people to stay up late in the neighborhood since it consisted of retired men and women who had found peace in their cozy beds inside small apartments. Groans and complaints  were heard by the computer screen of a rather young man. The screen cast a reflection to his glasses, gray letters on a black screen running sideways in a rapid speed in rhythm to the computer's keyboard. His fingers found their way to each sign and letter without any need to look down at what he was typing. "Bloody hell.." he muttered when his computer made a beeping sound, obviously denying him the access he was seeking.  
  
It could go on for hours and he would only leave his seat by the kitchen table when going to the toilet or to brew another cup of coffee. A pile eventually formed by his side and cast a shadow on his table. He sat back and stretched, looking outside into the storms eye. The wind had calmed some, but the man knew it was only a for a short while until hell would break out again. London was known for its gray skies and cold summer which he despised so much. What brought his four eyes back to the screen was a flashing email icon. A small click made a window pop up within seconds.  
  
 _"Hey, Shaun! My flight is canceled because of 'bad weather' so it seems_  
 _that we'll have to meet some other day. I wanted to talk to you in private_  
 _(you know how many unwanted eyes there are on the net) but I find this_  
 _information okay to share. I attached a zip file, open it and let me know_  
 _if it was of any use to you. I must say, I do not like the fact that you play with fire._  
 _Be careful. /Bcc"_  
  
A zip file was indeed attached to the email and he didn't hesitate to open it. It held a few text files of complete nonsense, encrypted by his friend to maintain privacy. "They'll crack this if they must" he smiled some and copied it before opening a decoding program. To his surprise, the sent information was quite useful to say the least. In fact, it contained several keys that could be used directly to trespass into databases. For months, Shaun tried to make his way through codes of different kinds and into the very heart of various algorithms. ' _The bloody devil got there before me.._ ' he thought while typing into the password field. He knew she wouldn't make it through all the way but, the fact that he hadn't done it sooner himself, made him criticize his skills. Only slightly.  
  
Heavy rain fell once again against his window. An alarm clock showed 5:03 am with bright red numbers from across the room. Shaun felt how his eyelids grew heavy and was about to turn off his computer when a window popped up. He stared at it in surprise and read “Enter password”. ' _What on earth..?_ ' He checked what the code he had written contained and with time, his eyes widened. Shaun had found a way into the database he was looking for. Letter after letter appeared in the password field when he pressed a key and within a matter of seconds, his screen turned completely black. Panic rose in his body and he couldn't understand what had happened. ' _Did I make a mistake?_ '   
  
To his relief, a logo appeared on his monitor along with the title “Abstergo Inc”. A small grin was brought to his otherwise stale face expression. Months of work had finally been paid off. Shaun didn't bother going through all files since it required time he didn't have. After all, he could easily be detected any minute. A status bar popped up in the middle and he watched it fill up with green color while files were transferred to his computer. That's when everything came crashing down. The transition was canceled and the bar disappeared, replaced by a warning sign and noise.  His facial expression was once again panic and the only thing he could do was removing his battery as quickly as possible from his laptop. ' _It must have saved_ ', he thought to himself. It would be the least pleasant thing to witness that there were no copied files stored. Shaun was praying that they hadn't had time to track his location because if that was the case, he had to leave immediately. He had been very careful and used several methods to disguise himself. The easiest task was to change IP-adress. That alone would of course not save his ass against a powerful corporation like Abstergo.  The chances of making it all the way in without detection were few and was a miracle rather than luck. His breath calmed just like the weather outside, a few rays of sun reaching the wall behind him and cast a shadow of his silhouette. As if that wasn't enough of a sign, he yawned and closed his eyes. A bed would be much more comfortable but his exhaustion made him fall asleep right on the table.   
  
*  
  
The annoying sound of a vibrating mobile phone brought Shaun back from a deep sleep. He could feel the vibrations on his face, trying to find it with a hand and brought it to his ear. “Yeah?” he mumbled tiredly. The voice of a woman, most likely stressed out, was heard on the line. “I've tried to contact you for an hour now! What the hell happened to your computer?”, she spoke quick and loud. “What time is it?”, he rubbed his eyes and put his glasses back on. “It's midday, Shaun. Why were you asleep?”. How annoying, he thought. “My computer died last night and I fell asleep late. Are you satisfied with that, Rebecca?”  She clearly didn't like his way of talking but didn't comment. “Anyway, I'm calling you because you're in trouble. My friend informed me that Abstergo is going rampage and that all is caused by an intruder. We both know who that is”, she let the words sink in. Shaun rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You'll get a golden medal for being obvious later. Do they know though?”   
  
The voice cracked some, most likely because of bad connection. “It's a matter of time. You better get out of there, stay in a hostel for some days or any other place where they don't request a passport. I warned you, Shaun. Curiosity killed the cat.” He smiled widely and turned around in his chair, picking up cups and putting them into a sink. “But satisfaction brought it back, Rebecca, and I'm very satisfied” he said. At least he hoped he wouldn't be disappointed when he opened up his computer again. “You better be right..” she sighed. Trains and people could be heard in the background as well as annunciations. “Wait, is that Italian I hear?” he tried to concentrate to tell apart words. “Maybe” he heard an amused tone, followed by more noise from the trains. “Anyway, get going. Shoo. I'll call you again to make sure you are in a safe place. Bye” she hung up and left Shaun with a pulsing sound.   
  
By 1pm, he had packed most of his belongings and tossed a bag into the trunk of his car. It shouldn't have been such surprise to him when Rebecca told him that Abstergo could be breathing down his neck soon enough. Yet, it was hard to believe that he was about to flee and look back to make sure no one was pointing a gun at him. For years, the mysterious company had been in the background of different technological inventions, never directly in the spotlight but very influential. Along with that, Nobel prise receivers in technology and biology had gone missing and if interviewed, they simply said they found peace working on a project. They obviously didn't tell what it was but they said it'd be revolutionary. That alone gave Shaun a reason to be suspicious and curious.   
  
The BMW rolled onto the main street and continued for a while out of the sleeping region. The best plan was to go around London and find a similar town to this, with not too many but not too few people. In a small neighborhood, the chances that everyone knew each other was high. A stranger like him would disturb the peace. Trees were shining from the light that reflected raindrops and lit up the dark green color. Shaun loved this place, it calmed him in so many ways and thinking about leaving this town forever depressed him. He turned and drove past a farm to get to the main road. His trip would take some hours so eventually he turned on the radio. ' _There better be a comfortable bed when I arrive.._ ', he thought and relaxed in his seat.  
  
*  
  
Time passed and the surrounding area turned from a green countryside into a town built from red bricks. Various shops and cafés were open, people sat by small circular tables and sipped freshly brewed coffee. His car was almost out of gas, which indicated pure luck that he had arrived already. A sign that hung on the four floors tall building read 'Hostel' with old painted letters. Shaun parked and stepped out, grabbing his big sports bag with all belongings. As he had thought, he only had to pay and sign a paper in case he lost the key. A long and narrow staircase led him to room 11. "How cozy" he said to himself and dropped the bag on the floor, locking the door. It wasn't very big but had space for a bed and toilet with shower space. Small curtains with embroidery hung over a window, covering the view for unwanted eyes and still letting in light. Of course, the first thing he did was to pick up his computer and put it on his lap. "You better work, bastard.." The Hostel had no WiFi, though he had no need for Internet connection yet.   
  
A startup screen lit up and he typed in the password, leading him to the desktop with several folders. When Shaun named files or anything for that matter on his computer, he hated to write it's full name and therefore created files that only have a few letters. In the end, he'd forget what on earth he meant by "H2k" or tried to find a file and never remembered the shortcut. This time though, he knew exactly where to look for the, hopefully, stored data. Before he could do anything, his phone vibrated in his pocket, way too close to something else. He jerked it out of there and answered.   
  
"What?"  
"Are you there yet?", Rebecca asked from the other side of the phone-line.  
"No, I'm currently in a van with twenty guns pointing at me", he replied while opening the folder named 'absIn748'. She laughed some and the sound of chewing could be heard. "Nice, take pictures so you can update your status one last time." Shaun's eyes widened and his smile would probably rip his face if he didn't stop. "You won't believe this, I actually got the most of it."  
A loud sound could be heard, forcing him to pull away his phone. "Are you alright over there?", he asked amused.  
"Are.. o seri..s?!", Rebecca shout while causing more disturbing sounds. "Even their project plans?" He could hear her more clear now. "Sorry, I dropped my phone. What does it say?"  
Shaun opened a document and scrolled some. Stamps and signatures were covering the bottom of every digital paper copy along with illustrations. "This must be the most bizarre files I've seen in my life", he had to comment. Pictures were in the folder as well and Shaun could feel his heartbeat rise. "Incredible..", he whispered.  
"Hey, say something! I helped you too after all", she complained. "They are working with Artificial Intelligence, and we aren't only talking about computers here."  
"Good god, what is it then?"  
Shaun corrected his glasses and cleared his throat. He was overwhelmed with this information in his hands. "They seem to want a living robot. I honestly don't think it's possible but.. who knows. If Abstergo has stopped collecting people for this project, it means they're getting somewhere. I honestly hope they're not. It's an absurd idea." Rebecca agreed on that. "I will see you tomorrow. Send me the address if you can. Good luck, Shaun", she said as she hung up on him again.   
  
Shaun was left staring at the monitor with anxiety. ' _Who and why would anyone want to do that..?_ ' he asked himself while continuing to read descriptions and reports. Most files consisted out of the same subject, which started to bore him. It was too much to take in in one day. After a few more minutes he put the computer on sleeping mode and closed the screen. At least one thing was sure, Abstergo was up to no good, just as he had suspected.  As dawn fell upon the local streets, his eyes grew heavy but mind didn't let him slip away. In the empty corridor a clock hung, dusty which could make one assume it had seen better days. Ticking sounds reached the Hostel room and it started to get on Shaun's nerves. Tick.. tuck.. tick...tick.. Had the clock gotten stuck?   
  
Eventually, Shaun made up his mind and rose from the silky bed sheets. Wearing only boxers, the British man made his way towards the annoying sound on his toes. One of the clock hands had stopped working between the numbers "9" and "10", struggling to break free from its longer twin. Shaun opened the clock carefully and moved it, watching it continue its route around the clock face. "Not my fault if someone gets late because of this", he smiled to himself at the thought and returned. Perhaps it would be better if he had stopped it completely but it turned out to be rather hypnotic and calming. Slowly, his eyes closed. They were too heavy to withstand.   
  
*  
  
Another morning, yet another day. Sheets were laying on the floor in a messy pile with a leg dangling over the edge. Quietly, the hunter got closer to its prey. Step by step, it circled around him in the room. It leaned over him, feeling how heat radiated from his bare skin. "Shaun... your mother-in-law is here and you're nude...", she whispered with a smug smirk on her face. His eyes flew open, accompanied by pure panic face expression. Covering up what god gave him, Shaun stared at the woman who had been so kind to wake him up. "Have you lost your mind-?", he hissed, a shade of red painting his cheeks. "Not yet, though you lost your blanket", Rebecca picked it up and tossed it at him. "Next time, it'll end bad", he pulled it closer to his chest and thighs. "Why didn't you call me?"  
"I had better things to take care of. For example, you now have a new phone. No need to thank me", she reached out and gave him a slim black phone. "It has a SIM-card already."  
Shaun flipped and turned the phone in his hand. "Thanks, this time I mean it."  
"When did you not mean it..?", Rebecca stared at him, startled by the new discovery. "Who knows", he replied with a shrug. "Do you have money.. I.. kind of spent everything on that", she smiled sweetly pointing at the phone. "Are you bloody serious, Bec?" She scratched her head and left the room to give him privacy when getting dressed.   
  
Shaun joined Rebecca outside the Hostel, leaving for a cup of coffee each. If he didn't get his morning coffee in time, Shaun got moody and easily distracted from work. "Spit it out, why on earth were you in Italy?", he sipped some and gave her a curious look through his spectacles. "You have to know everything, don't you?", she rolled her eyes and bit off a piece of biscuit. "Simply wanted to have some time off, can't I? Of course, you have no idea what a thing such as vacation is", she laughed. "You're right, I'm a workaholic, you got me", he rose his hands above his head. Some cars passed them and left a trail of gas behind, making them both frown. With the corner of his eye, Shaun noticed a car that stood parked a few meters away. It was a black van with tanned windows, but you could still see a light reflect from the inside. Was someone watching them? Despite his paranoia, they continued sitting. Chances that it was a simple car cooling film that one could put on the window to keep out warmth of the sun, were high, but it kept nagging on him.   
  
Rest of the day passed rather calmly, a chilling wind teased both adult's hair. They found a good spot in a nearby forest to observe the territory from above. "Isn't this great? You should go out more often, maybe even renew your wardrobe", Rebecca spoke in a slow pace. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?", he glared, demanding an excuse. "Well.. in those clothes you kind of look like my grandpa." Shaun's eye twitched at that. The formal outfit he wore on a daily basis was a white button-up shirt with a gray pullover vest. Not too fancy and quite comfortable. "You know who you look like?", he grinned. "Just like my dead sister." That comment frightened Rebecca. "I get it, I'm sorry. You look like my dad." They remained sitting on the same spot until dawn and discussed what had happened the past four months. Both of them were active in the conversation, something Rebecca appreciated since Shaun wasn't the chatty kind of guy. When the wind got chilly, they agreed on going back to the hostel. "If you'd like, I can sleep on the floor. Just this time though, don't get too excited", he corrected his glasses and grabbed a tree branch hanging above his head, slowly climbing down from the formed cliff. "A real British gentleman", Rebecca pat his shoulder when he had gotten down. He decided to keep his comments to himself this time.  
  
To Shaun's relief, the black van from earlier was gone, not a single trace left that it had been standing there. He took one last breath of fresh air and followed his companion into the building. A tall blond woman was standing behind the reception desk, smiling at them as they passed. "Have a good night, Mr and Mrs Hastings." Shaun stopped and shook his head. "You got the wrong idea. Me-, we aren't married and we're not dating at all either, yeah", he realized he was making a fool out of himself and simply carried on slightly quicker. "Don't say a word", he hissed at Rebecca who was about to pass out from holding in her laughter. "You just made her even more suspicious, good job. People aren't your thing."  
  
*  
  
A fly was desperately trying to get out from the stuffy room, making a dull sound against the glass surface. No one in the room even noticed, buried with their face in their soft feather pillows. It was past midnight, some light cast a spiderweb-like shadow on the wall through laced curtains. Cars rarely ever passed on this street but tonight was different. The black van stood a few meters away from the hostel with a man peeking out with his binocular. "All clear. We're moving in", he looked at the backseat to get eye contact with his subordinates. Their footsteps were quiet, almost ghostly. Within a minute, their feet took them upstairs to room 11 where their target, hopefully, was unaware of their uninvited company. They counted down and slammed the door open and headed directly to the bed. To everyone's surprise, they found a woman, but since they didn't get any orders to leave anyone out, a man pushed her down and held a mix of chloroform against her nose. The man they were looking for had already stood up and shouted at them but was forcefully knocked out with a punch. "Take them both, don't forget his computer", one of them said and left the room. On their way out, the man stopped by the reception and smiled to the blond woman. "Thank you for your cooperation. We'll make sure these criminals never find their way back here. As I promised..", he put an envelope on the counter and slid it her way with his palm. The receptionist nodded and took it without hesitation. If one had a problem with something, you could always buy the solution with money. The squad entered the black van and disappeared, leaving town as if it was untouched.


	2. Awaken

Flashing lights.

It looked like a storm before his eyes and forced his eyelids shut. Look to the right, everything dazzles him. Slow look to the left, his pulse is rising. A green line zigzags up and down, showing him that it's not a dream. This isn't his end. Someone was approaching him, lonely echo of heels reached his ears before a shadow blocked the ceiling light. "Good morning, Mr Hastings," a woman's voice was heard. Dizziness  had a firm grip on his consciousness, not letting him think clearly. "Who are you..? Am I..? Where am I?" he asked slowly. "You are in the hospital wing," the woman said and took a closer look at the monitor. "Do you mind if I take a look at  your eyes?" Shaun tried to sit up but without further success. "You have been sedated, please don't get up yet," she smiled and sat by his side on the bed's edge. A bright light was once again flashing before his eyes, making him frown. "Eyes pupils are reacting. That is a good sign. Do you know where you are?"

When he tried to swallow, he felt how dry his mouth was. "You said.. I'm in the hospital wing.. am I at the Wellington Hospital?" The woman shook her head. There was something with her appearance that calmed Shaun, her dark brown hair and eyes, hiding behind a pair of silver framed glasses. "No, we aren't in London. Do you know what day it is?" When Shaun tried to remember, he felt the pain return in his skull. "I remember it was a.. Tuesday, the 10th of May." He rubbed his head and felt stitches in his hair under his fingertips. "I'm afraid it's not Wednesday today. It is Friday the 13th, May 2011."

A grin appeared on his face. "How unfortunate for me to wake up on this day, God knows where." The nurse rubbed his shoulder comforting. "You will be alright, sir." There was something off with her accent, Shaun realized. It only confirmed her words that they indeed were not in London. They weren't even in the UK. He looked for clues in his surrounding area, anything that could tell him his location. In the far end, a familiar logotype was displayed on a monitor, turning 360 degrees. "This is Abstergo Inc.. I'm in the United States! How the fuck did I get here?" The woman stood up and got a syringe from the nearby cabinet. "You flew here. You have suffered a brain concussion from our men, someone sure went overboard with power. You were unconscious for two days, you're lucky you don't have amnesia. As far as I can see, you will be alright." In her hand, a small bottle rested with some kind of blanc fluid. The nurse stuck a needle in it and pulled the end of the syringe to fill it whole.

"You will knock me out again, won't you?" he sat up in the bed with a pounding head. His clothes were missing but he wore a hospital tunic instead. "Is that what you think?" she smiled, amusement could be spotted in her eyes. "It's simple vitamins. You need a lot of them. When was the last time you ate something fresh?" she stuck the needle in his IV and injected the fluid. “Don’t teach me how to live, it’s none of your business,” he laid back in his bed. She closed the IV cap and and threw the syringe with it’s needle into a trash bin. As Shaun’s memory started to return along with his focus, he became concerned about Rebecca. “Have you seen a black haired woman? She was with me when your men took us as hostage.” The nurse shook her head and stroke back some hair behind her ear. “You are disorientated, Mr Hastings. Get some rest,” she left the white room. _‘Disorientated?’_ , he thought to himself, confusion prevented him from connecting thoughts. _‘Why didn’t she tell me about Rebecca? Isn’t she here..?’_

A floor above him, the nurse made her way through a laboratory and down a light corridor. Abstergo Inc’s lab facility was mostly white and plain, no decorations of any kind were to be found. The plainness suited surprisingly well. Her white robe made her look like a lonely ghost, melting with her surroundings. The emptiness provided anyone who passed with an echo of their shoes that could be heard all the way from point A to B. With a swipe of her card, she entered an elevator with keys locking every floor except one. She only had access to four out of fifteen floors, the lab, the hospital wing, main floor and sleeping area where the workers could live during their working period. She took up her keys and unlocked floor -3. The elevator made a high pitched noise and closed its doors, taking her down below ground. Employees rarely went there since it was restricted area. Only lab workers could access that floor. The nurse was met by a blue light when she exited the elevator and proceeded towards one of the rooms across. No one paid the slightest attention to her, everyone either too occupied with writing or mixing components. The door swung open and was closed immediately after her entering. “You are right on time, Mrs Walker. Come, sit down.” The nurse nod and sat down next to the man’s desk. “How is he doing?” he asked with a rather curious tone. “Mr Hastings is recovering well, his brain activity is high and is overall stable. He was asking about her,” she looked at him with concern. The man shifted his leg’s position and drank some scotch. “I assume you did not tell him anything. It is important that we keep it a secret, at least for a while.” Mrs Walker agreed and sat up. “Wait, one more thing. Transfer him to the coding building, give him something to work on. I don’t wish to waste any more time, now that we are so close.” Her lips formed a straight line, but she said nothing. There was no point to argue with this man.

A few hours passed and Shaun was still trying to fall asleep. His headache was slowly fading away but the fatigue refused to let go of him. _‘Why did they take us? Do they have any use of us?’_   Questions wouldn’t leave his head until he clenched his fist and buried himself in the bedsheets. It struck him after hours of thinking, how far away from home he actually was. _‘Get a hold of yourself, Shaun. You aren’t 12.’_ A door’s creek brought him back to reality as he peeked from beneath the cover. Two men, together with the nurse, stood with their guns in their grip. “I apologize for this. This is simply out of security reasons.” Shaun chuckled. “In case I knock out one of them and shoot the other so I can take you into hostage? Neat.” One of the guards sent Shaun a glare but kept quiet, for they weren’t allowed to speak during their duty unless asked to. The nurse helped him out of bed and gave him his clothes back in a sealed plastic bag. “Let me take these wires off,” she carefully detached the IV and put a band-aid on the wound. “Call me back in when you are dressed.” He looked at the man and frowned. “What, are they gonna watch me? If I wanted men to see me strip, I sure would go work in a gay club instead.” She smiled some and ordered the guards to turn away. “Better, Mr Hastings?” Shaun turned towards the bed and slid off the hospital tunic. He shivered while standing on the cold floor and hurried to dress himself. To his surprise, his clothes were ironed and washed.

When he was done, the nurse returned and pushed him lightly on the back so he would move forward. “We are transferring you to the coding facility. You will attend your work at 10 am straight, tomorrow. Someone will show you around and introduce you to a project. You are now working for Abstergo Inc. And no, I cannot answer any of your questions. I am simply your nurse after all,” she entered the elevator and unlocked floor 0. “Not even questions like.. your name? Maybe age? Wait, that would be rude of me,” Shaun mumbled, peeking at the guards with his side vision. They were not to be fucked around with. “Call me Mrs Walker. You will not have any use of my real name here. The more confidential, the better.” He rolled his eyes at that. “Alright, Mrs Walker. How about you tell me where to find you in case that I pass out, or whatever reason for that matter. As much as I know, brain concussion isn’t a joke.” She turned and gave him a small smile from the corner of her lips. “I will make sure to leave a phone number, Hastings.” With that said, the elevator opened and he was led to a corridor across Abstergo’s main hall. Its ceiling stretched several floors up, creating enormous amount of light space. Shaun’s eyes widened for a brief second before the sight was replaced with darkness. A weakly illuminated hallway with locked doors made him wonder how many people actually lived here. Another elevator was to be found to his right, already open. No locks seemed to be needed on the selection panel. “Floor five, please,” she nodded to Shaun, who wasn’t very fond of taking orders. Either way, he pressed button five and the doors shut. Within seconds, they reached their destination and the nurse fished up a card from her robe, holding it up for Shaun to see. “This belongs to you now. Don’t lose it.” His face was stamped on the card along with name, age, height and occupation. “All programmers work on floor 2 in the main building, but you also have access to floor -1, 0 and 4. There are no stairs, so this card is your only way to move around.” He didn’t know what disturbed him more, that everything was already prepared for him or that they had all information regarding him in their database.

“You have sense of humor,” he commented on his room number, that ironically happened to be E-11, just like his hostel room. “We will leave you for now. Get rest and remember, 10am tomorrow, floor 2 in the main building.” They left him by the door and disappeared from his sight. Shaun swiped the card and received a clicking sound. The door swung open and he entered, closing it after him. The room itself wasn’t huge, yet had space for everything he’d need, including a bathroom. To his concern, the window stretched from ceiling to floor and wall to wall, leaving him with a feeling of being exposed. The view of his surroundings was remarkable, an inner garden that was the size of a football field with few ponds and trees could be seen in the middle of the surrounding buildings. “So workers only have the inner view of everything..? We are bloody prisoners.” With a sigh, he sat down on the bed and looked at the wall. There was a small option panel there with buttons. “Opaque?” he read and pressed it. To his surprise, the window turned gray from the inside. Shaun could still see everything but he was sure that the outside now reflected the environment. “These guys will never stop surprising me..” he smirked and laid down. No sounds were to be heard, he was completely isolated from the outside world. It was an odd sensation for Shaun, something he had never felt before. _Vulnerability._

These men could do anything to him at any moment and he wouldn’t even get the thought. “Who knows, maybe I’m already brainwashed.” It did not calm him at all. Groaning, he sat up and shook his head. A monitor stood on his desk with a Windows logo bouncing from side to side, awaiting the touch of a button or mouse. With boredom slowly taking over, Shaun decided to check it out. He brought the screen back to life by shaking the mouse and sat back. It was the newest Windows system, something Shaun found satisfying. A few icons were on the desktop, word programs, coding and what not. One of them was blinking with bright green, indicating that he was online along with someone else. “Wonder who’s there.”

Shaun double clicked it and logged in. A chat window appeared with different colored text bubbles, it seemed that around four people were chatting. “Maybe they’re co-workers”, he thought and chose a username to join them.

 **Claz:** isn’t it sick? i’ve tried to get them to fix my darn coffee machine for months now! where does their money go anyway?

_[Hastings joined the group]_

**Drenn:** calm down, you won’t die - you still have one in the cafeteria

 **Claz:** man, you think i have energy to go down that early? no way

 **Drenn:** drama queen

 **Claz:** don’t make me come over and smack you

 **Drenn:** come

 **Drenn:** if you dare

 **Claz:** kindly fuck off

 **Drenn:** wait, did you notice?

 **Claz:** notice what?

 **Drenn:** we’re not alone anymore

 **Claz:** huh? what? no..?

 **Drenn:** scroll up, dammit

 **Claz:** shit, you’re right. hey, you, what’s up?

 **Hastings:** Not me.

 **Drenn:** hah you’re new here or something? haven’t seen you here before

 **Hastings:** No, I’ve always been here. You just never knew. Always watching…

 **Claz:** THAT’S… CREEPY

 **Hastings:** Good.

 **Claz:** please tell me you’re joking.. haha.. hah

_[Hastings left the group]_

Shaun smiled some. This would creep them out for now. With satisfaction, he left his seat and checked the clock. “10pm huh..? I better get some rest for tomorrow.” Undressed and tucked under his bedsheets, Shaun laid his head to rest on the soft pillow. It sunk some under him and brought great comfort.

*

An annoying sound pierced his eardrums, a repeating buzz coming from the wall to his right with no intention on stopping. Shaun rolled over and squinted his eyes at big red numbers that formed 8:00. He couldn’t remember turning on an alarm. He pushed a button that he assumed was the buzzer and sunk into the madras with relief when it stopped. It was pointless trying to read what it said in the options field without his glasses. A minute later, Shaun sat up and stretched, looking outside from his window. Sun rays didn’t reach the ground yet in the middle of Abstergo’s garden zone. His room’s bathroom was simple and small, yet enough for one living person. A shower cabin stood next to the toilet seat, along with a shelf with towels and other hygiene products. “Neat”. He stepped in and turned on the water directly which to his stupidity made him receive a stain of cold water. With the wrong placement of his foot, his balance shifted and his body suffered. “Bloody-.. hell,” he hissed and slid on his buttcheeks towards the handle on the wall to pull himself up. If not from the shower, then he was sure awake from this.

His thigh and shoulder were bruised when he left the cabin to get dressed. They were red with a shade of blue when he took a look in the mirror. That would hurt real bad later. Within seconds, he had wiped himself dry and put on the casual office wear to attend work. “Wonder what I’ll get assigned. Maybe one of their wacky projects.. or perhaps something lame. It better be worth my time either way.” He left his room and went to the elevator, taking him to floor 0 where everyone could move around freely. To his surprise, Abstergo was just as busy in the morning as any other town during morning hours. Workers of different kind, men and women, rushed towards the elevators with either coffee cups in hand or dozen of papers. This place seemed no different from civilization. “Or maybe it’s to keep us calm,” he stuck his hands in his pockets. Main difference between Abstergo’s building and a street, it didn’t have any signs whatsoever. “How the heck do I find here?”

With or without, Shaun figured he could just walk around for a while. Despite the huge area, the main hall that reached around the whole garden and connected the four buildings was the only reasonable option for him. _'This is the sleeping area.. How far away would the main building be? It must be available for everyone.'_ The only building that filled the criteria was white and 20 floors high, standing between the sleeping facility and some other building that didn’t stick out much. _'If it’s main, it must stick out.'_ Luckily, Shaun had guessed correct and took the elevator to floor 2, accompanied by a blond guy that was busy playing something on his phone, not even noticing Shaun’s presence.  On the badge that was attached to his shirt stood his name and photo. “Clay..” he tried to read from the side without realizing he had spoken aloud and that the man named Clay was now staring. “Uh, yes? Did you want something?” he had paused his game. Shaun hadn’t expected to have a conversation in the elevator and found himself  feeling a bit awkward. “It’s.. nothing. I’m simply curious of those who work here. I mean, you do work here, right mate?” he said a bit too suspiciously. _'Now he’ll think I’m a weirdo.'_ The man didn’t seemed bothered at all and exited on the same floor as Shaun. “That’s right, I do. Are you a new worker here? I’m Clay Kaczmarek, pleased to meet you,” he reached out his hand for Shaun to shake, who returned the favor with a pitiful smile. “Abstergo has gotten me to work for them so it’s my first day.” Clay grinned and nod. “They have their methods to make people work for them. You must be special, be happy for that.”

“Yeah, happy I’ll only leave this company feet first..”

“I am Shaun Hastings, from Britain,” he introduced himself. “No.. Seriously? Are you the guy who freaked me out yesterday? Man, it wasn’t funny.” Shaun suddenly realized who the man before him actually was. “Well, don’t let yourself get scared that easily.” They passed several cabins and cabinets where typing from a keyboard could be heard. “How long have you been working here?” he asked, looking around meanwhile. “Let’s see… around February? Not very long. I bet you came here the same way as me,” he chuckled. “If you only knew.”

“Anyway, here’s your spot,” he showed me a cabinet, “and this is mine. We share, you see.” Shaun sat down in his chair and spun around some. Two computers with big monitors were standing back to back on a huge squared table in the middle. “Suppose I could get used to it. Why do they want us to work together?” Clay shrugged and closed the door before retrieving some folders from his desk. “This is what I’ve been working on the past two months,” he shoved it towards him and sat back, as if observing. Shaun reached for the thick folders and flipped some pages, his eyes slowly widening. “It all looks extremely familiar..” Clay rolled over to him on his seat. “Is that so, you’ve worked with stuff like this before?” He shook his head, correcting his glasses. “No, forget what I said. It stands that I have to combine and transfer certain files. It isn’t anything I’ve worked with before. These files shouldn’t exist in the coding world.” As bizarre as it was, Shaun found sudden interest in the project he was assigned. “If only I knew the answer to why we do this, I’d certainly tell you, my friend. From now on we’ll make sure to find out together,” he took them back and locked into a drawer.

The screen cast a reflection onto Shaun’s glasses who had tried for the past three hours to figure out what he was dealing with. Once he found a connection, he did as the instructions told him to. It was remarkably complicated and advanced, something that intrigued him even more. His co-worker did as much effort as him to finish a specific amount of work before end of the day. Shaun had gotten access to a few files from Abstergo’s network and used his breaks to read through some documentation. Most of it of course regarded technological inventions and details. Nothing he found to be outstanding. When nothing was to be found there, he simply looked up the list of employees. The list updated every week but you could still see those who had quit and those who had gotten their employment recently. Shaun was one of them with a blue square in the corner. _'No Rebecca, huh? Perhaps they let her go when we were caught,'_ he thought when he scrolled past the letter R.

What actually happened her, he could only guess.


	3. Glimpse of Danger

Deep underground, bioengineers were busy with running their test results in various watch glasses and laboratory flasks, mixing liquids unknown to humanity outside Abstergo’s walls. What was done down there was highly restricted and those who let a single word slip could be punished. Naturally, almost no one knew what happened to those individuals, since those people never came back to tell the case. The man behind this all had spread an echo around the world, carrying his name in thousands of articles within computer science and bioengineering. Abstergo Inc. had hired him for their own needs and ever since, he spent his time in a lonely underground office on floor -3 drinking expensive mixes of OH, also called alcohol. It could go on for days in a row unless someone interrupted his depressive peace. In fact, this was one of those times when a man entered his office.

“Sir, there seems to be a problem in the incubator tube. The brain activity has fallen drastically and we aren’t sure what to do. Electric stimulation does not affect it in any way..”, the man spoke hesitantly. His labcoat was slightly stained with light blue spots, mostly on his sleeves. “Find another way”, the man waved his hand at the young assistant, as if shooing a dog away from the dinner table and took yet another sip of his scotch. Hope was drained from the assistant's face while he observed the slightly bald man before him. “As I said earlier, we have tried everything. We might lose him if we don’t do anything immediately-”. At that moment, the man stood up from his seat and nearly knocked the table off its feet. “I said, find another way!”, he shouted and slammed his glass so it spilled all over the surface. Backing away, the assistant nodded quickly and escaped his office within seconds.

Without any trace of what had happened earlier, the man kept on drinking in silence. Mrs Walker slowly stepped away from his door, having heard the argument through it, and left to avoid any kind of commotion in case he decided to leave his office. That though was very unlikely, which was favorable for her.  

*

“Vlog #4, May 21st. I am still trapped here and they have threatened to abduct me. Joking- that never happened. Anyhow, things are going way too easy.. Still managing the deadlines, yay(!). Clay and I are getting along, no death forecasts so far. This thing-,” he paused and yawned, “is stupid.”

Clay smiled and typed on his keyboard. “Don’t say that, it really helps, especially if you don’t go out that often. Besides, you’ll be able to look back at the time you started and see how you’ve improved yourself.” Shaun turned off the camera on his computer and leaned back, tired from sitting in one position. “I know myself enough to feel certain I won’t change, but thanks.” Few people passed their office and rarely anyone looked inside to see them. Most had a monotone daily task to take care of, as did Shaun and Clay, except that their task was slightly different. Shaun was constantly caught by curiosity of what certain groups did. If asked, workers often laughed it off of dismissed the question.

“Hey, have you ever seen anyone from the far back get up at any point? I haven’t met them anywhere whatsoever, elevators, rooms.. even the cafeteria and halls. Don’t you find it strange?” Shaun looked at the flickering light with his hands on the back of his head. “Well.. I do not know anything myself but my former co-worker was transferred there. Ever since, he hasn’t spoken to me. None of them seem to do that,” Clay said with a sad tone. “Is that so?”, Shaun frowned, a wrinkle popping up between his eyebrows. In his opinion, the whole situation was out of line.

Human nature was constructed in a way that people could adapt to anything. Anything except loneliness. Those who fell out of that category simply were too abnormal for Shaun’s taste. He himself disliked company, at least he claimed it was  the case, but every now and then he couldn’t stand the lack of human contact. When he was captured and isolated, it truly was distressing and if given the choice, he wouldn’t want that to be repeated. “Can you give me some coins? I have none and I need coffee,” Shaun said and left his seat, reaching out his hand. “Again? Your heart will explode if you continue consuming that much. By the way, what happened to the five dollars I gave you last time?” Clay crossed his arms and observed his co-worker in amusement who struggled to find an answer that would make sense. “How rude. I don’t ask you where your brain goes every hour when I have to help, so don’t ask me.” With Clay rolling his eyes, Shaun left the office and walked down the hall to a big coffee machine and fished up what was left of the five dollars.

A cup dropped from the big hole and hot liquid followed right after when he had made his order. His true intention was in fact not to get more caffeine that already had him hooked, but an excuse to get a closer look at those who worked in the back of the hall. Nothing seemed out of ordinary, they were sitting by their desks, minding their own business with keyboard keys giving away that they were typing rapidly. He passed them slowly, taking his time to check their faces in case if he recognized anyone. Despite the number of people who worked there, every single one of them shared the same emotionless expression to the point where it started to concern Shaun. “This isn’t normal,” he thought and backed away which to his surprise quickly stopped by a body being in his way. Turning around, he found a man staring at him blankly as though he was transparent to him. “My bad.. I’m leaving now. Couldn’t find my cabinet,” Shaun attempted some kind of a smile and walked around him. In a manner of a statue, he remained in a standing position where Shaun had bumped into him.

“Oh, you’re back. I assume you did have some cash left after I gave you my money,” Clay grinned and spun in his seat to look at Shaun who had quickly slammed the door. He seemed startled and slightly disturbed. “You okay?” He shook his head and took a seat. “I just met one of the guys working there. At least I think it was. There’s something really worrisome about that place. If your friend got sent there, then he must have been a lost case already.” Clay frowned and peeked from the side of his monitor. “Don’t talk like that about him. He was a very decent person.”

“The keyword is ‘was’, Clay.”

* 

Later that day, they ended by handing in their work in form of a sealed box and left the coding department to find rest. Clay waved before the elevator doors closed and continued to floor 6. Shaun had grown to like the small room Abstergo had offered him and laid down on the bed the second he had entered. It was the closest thing to a home he had at the moment. Turning the glass opaque, he decided to turn on some music. It was unexpected but they had a huge choice, all kinds of genres and titles installed into the player. One song after another was skipped until one particular song appeared on the list with small font. “They better have soundproof walls,” he grinned and turned up the volume. Music started to blast out of the built in speakers and shake the wall slightly. _‘.. Make it okay, I swear I’ll behave..’_ He sang along and moved his body. _‘You wanted control, so we waited, I put on a show..’_ Someone knocked violently on the wall but without further success, the bass covering up any sounds that came through. “You said I’m a kid, My ego is big, I don’t give a shit-!” he sang and grinned while moving his hips from side to side. The stress and tension he had built up inside was slowly disappearing with movements and sweat. _‘..All the moves like jagger, I’ve got the moves like jagger..”_ it continued until he fell back on the bed and panted, staring into the ceiling with wide eyes. “Woah.. that was something.” Never had he felt so alive, at least the past few months. He rose and sat up in his bed, gazing into his own eyes in the reflection the wide window provided him with. Small hair stubs were poking out from his chin, so called the three day old shave. Shaun looked older than ever with slightly black circles under his eyes and slim face. “Good god, I look like a caveman..”, he rubbed his face and went over to his bathroom. Since Abstergo provided them with all hygienic products, Shaun was convinced he’d find a razor.

Or so he thought at least. He searched through every corner of the narrow bathroom, crawled on his knees but only managed to wipe the floor properly with his pants. Groaning and mumbling, he shoved the card into his pocket and left to take the elevator upstairs. A woman's voice calmly let him know that he was on floor 6. “Thank you, dear,” he walked down the corridor. Clay lived just a few doors away from the elevator in room number 38. “Open up, it’s me. Dress while you still have the chance cause I’m coming..” The second his fist touched the door, it slid open with a slight creek. “.. in. Clay? Anyone home?” His friend’s room seemed abandoned, even the sheets were fixed properly. “Perhaps he’s just out somewhere. Where would he go at this hour and why?” Taking what he needed, Shaun left to search for Clay in the empty Abstergo facility that simply gave him the chills. All corridors were blank like papers with rows of doors and numbers. It was as uninviting as a prison. Frankly, that was pretty much it.

The echo of his footsteps spread quickly across the empty hall on the main floor, moonlight stretching Shaun’s dark shadow and pinning it to the wall. _'If only this place wasn’t as big and confusing. The heck do I find him at?'_   If anything was shining brightly that night, it’s the forged lake in the middle of Abstergo’s garden.

The doors were not locked, due to the fact that no one could escape the box shaped building. Rustling of leaves in the tree crowns created a relaxing midnight atmosphere along with various flowers and bushes scent. Harmony was present but it was merely an illusion. “That’s what they want us to feel after all. Relaxed and relying on them. To hell with that.” Freshly cut grass-smell filled the air around him as he strolled around the garden. Compared to his sight, Shaun’s hearing was extraordinary and when he heard something move, he quickly traced the sound to a pair of benched by the lake.  

Doubled over with his hands in his hair, Clay sat on top of the table with his feet supporting him, seemingly bothered and frustrated for whatever reason there was. “Am I bothering you? You were missing when I stopped by,” he sat down next to Clay and gazed over the lake. His friend didn’t respond, keeping his eyes buried on the ground. Few minutes passed until Clay decided to speak up, shakiness following his words. “My friend is no longer a worker here. You know.. he just.. he’s just gone.” Shaun looked over at him with slight puzzlement in his eyes. “They told you that?” Clay smiled sorrowfully and caught eye contact with Shaun. “I saw how they carried him to the elevator on a stretcher. The body was covered but an arm hung loosely from it… I don’t understand how it could have happened. Only 29 years..” The newly obtained information made Shaun feel pity, wrapping his arms around himself. “Happens.”

Both of them remained in place until Clay broke down, his body shaking intensively along with dripping tears. The typically manly facade was gone with the wind but there was nothing shameful in it. In an attempt to calm him, Shaun put his palm on the back of Clay’s neck. “I can’t stand this place, Shaun- I really can’t. I constantly wonder when my turn is, when will I make my way down in the elevator to the morgue? This whole place isn’t normal and everyone seems to accept it. They’re no better than lifeless machines..” His words gave Shaun the chills. For the first time in several weeks, he had seen something human, that for once made sense. “Do your job, do not give them reasons to turn you into that kind of machine. As much as I know, you just have to play by their rules and no one will get hurt, you got it? We’re a team, mate, I don’t say it often at all..”

Shortly, the sobbing ended and got replaced by chit-chatting and small discussions. If there was one thing Shaun was good at, it’s convincing people into thinking what he wanted. The least he could do was to give Clay hope they really couldn’t rely on, but chose to out of desperation. “I forgot to mention. I ran out of razors so I kind of broke into your room and took one. You can have it back when I’m done shaving.. everything,” Shaun grinned and showed it to his friend. Clay made a face and shook his head. “For the love of God, keep it. Let’s call it your Christmas gift.”

“Come on, get up. Don’t we have work tomorrow morning?” Shaun reached out his hand for Clay to grab and pulled him after that. Only their footsteps were heard in the still night. Not even the wind attempted to break through the built mountains. Some light was still on when they entered the main building, illuminating the path towards corridors and left out a few spots for darkness. They strolled across the hall when suddenly an elevator gave away its presence with a quiet ‘plong’. “Who on earth..?” Shaun pulled Clay with him into the dark and observed from a corner, careful not to expose himself.

A creature on four limbs crawled out of there, striving to get on its back legs. The fingers were twisted in a horrifying way but when Shaun took a closer look, it showed to be a normal man. Struggling with balance issues, he unsteadily marched towards the doors. Rugs covered his body that was badly bruised and if he wasn’t mistaken, an IV tube was still attached to his arm as well. “Do you think he’s..?”, Clay whispered, his eyes glued to the bizarre scene. Shaun pressed a finger to his mouth and heard how another elevator joined them on the main floor. It seemed that the sound triggered the man as he flipped out and proceeded to crawl and let out loud moans, the closest he could do to screaming. Various staff emerged with weapons and medical equipment in their hands. Some of them held down the man and others gathered around to guard him. What Shaun hadn’t expected was that he’d see nurse Walker among them. She bowed over the man and injected a substance into his neck, giving everyone a calm nod. Guards lowered their weapons, standing still while nurses dragged him on the floor towards the elevator. The man’s moans were slow and his hands created a wet trail from the IV tube. Without a single word, they disappeared below ground.  

Unable to explain what they both had just witnessed, Clay sank down the wall with a numb face expression. “It’s not safe, let’s go back to our rooms. The least we want to do is stay here after this..” Shaun started walking towards the dorms when Clay stood up and followed his coworker. This night would sure as hell be tough on them.

* 

Mrs Walker’s morning routines were always the same, as precise as it could get. Waking up to the alarm at 6am, she got up to spend ten minutes in the bathroom to wash her fatigue away. It was followed up by applying beauty products and getting dressed into same white shirt and tight black skirt that revealed her delicate figure. If anyone was to ask a coworker what they thought of her, they’d describe her as elegant and frankly intimidating. Only an hour was needed for her to be done, unlike other women who were accused by their partners of occupying the bathroom for an eternity. When standing in front of the mirror and looking into her own eyes, she could observe herself from the side without a mask which she wore day in and day out. How much she ever wanted to let go of it, Mrs Walker told herself that it was needed. In a drawer that was locked with a small key laid an object of great importance. It hung loosely when she picked it up and pulled over her head, making sure it was properly fixated on the inside. She had done it so many times that it merely took some seconds. “You’re a stranger to me,” she said when her bangs were fixed into place and her ponytail brushed carefully. A wig was nothing she fancied because of the itching and honestly, dark brown wasn’t her favorite color either. When her true nature had been concealed, she took her lab coat and left the room to attend her duty.

* 

“Did you get any sleep at all?” Shaun asked concerned (although it wasn’t visible) when Clay stepped into the elevator, his face comparable to a three day old corpse. Without wasting words, he nodded and leaned against the wall. Shaun understood him better than he wished to, recalling how frightening yesterday’s scene was. “Let me buy you a snack. Looking at you makes me feel like I’m at a funeral.” Nothing seemed disturbed, Abstergo’s employees were busy as always, working like cogwheels in a clock. Sometimes Shaun wondered how they managed to keep check on every single individual, holding a tight grip. It was odd that no one had rioted against the company ever since it had been established. Most impressively, no one from the outer world questioned its existence and success. Both of them got off on floor 0 and passed where only a few hours ago a man got dragged underground with help of security guards and Mrs Walker that Shaun thought he could trust. Nausea took over Clay when he faced the closing doors but he endured it. Everything was alright right now, as much as possible at least.

* 

The monitor flickered to life when one of the employees on floor -1 shook the mouse, sitting down with a bagel and coffee this early morning. It was forbidden to bring any kinds of liquids there and keep it on the table where a single wrong movement could result in disaster. However, that didn’t stop him since he had an awfully long day ahead of him. The surveillance department paid double as much for overworked time and many were ready to do so. No one was waiting for them at home either way. “Hey, Mike! Staying as always?”, one of the coworkers asked and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “You know it,” he smiled and sipped from the paper mug. Mike typed some on his keyboard and opened up the files from last night. It was forbidden to be in the main building after midnight and therefore no one could keep check on the cameras or access any files. “Let’s see what we’ve got here.” It could take from some minutes to hours checking that nothing had gone wrong during night, which Mike had learned to expect. This time thought the footages made his skin crawl. The video showed how two men were hiding in the shadow when a subject escaped the laboratory, followed by guards who dragged him back by his limbs. It was as disturbing as it could get, as if taken straight from a horror movie. This sure wasn’t the first time someone had escaped the underground but when someone was there to see it happen got the idea that it was possible to run away somehow. “God bless you poor men.. I hope they don’t do anything too bad to you..” Mike sighed and wiped sweat off his forehead before taking the USB and leaving to report the incident. 


	4. Bittersweet

“You’re like a chimney,” his new partner said, frowning when Shaun entered the office. Though he himself wasn’t very fond of it, he couldn’t help it. “Have we met?” Shaun asked and sat down by his working space. The fact that someone else was facing him made him feel blue. “How rude of me, I’m Ruby. Worked across the hall when I got the message that I’m gonna work with someone new. Don’t worry, I’m an experienced worker,” he smiled and shook Shaun’s hand.

“Shaun Hastings, can’t say I’m happy to see you.”

It startled Ruby who had expected to see at least some kind of excitement from his side but when it got to him, he nodded and gave Shaun an apologetic look. “Don’t think about it, it’ll only hurt more. I know it.” Ruby’s sympathy was the last thing Shaun needed to hear. “Whatever, let’s get going. I have a deadline until noon.”

**One week earlier - Tuesday, 7am**

Shaun woke up with the morning headache he had (not) been blessed with, staring into the empty wall for a few minutes before he got up. The past few days after the incident, he’s been having nightmares that woke him up cold sweated, pulse throbbing in his neck vein. Unlike Clay, Shaun had the ability to look okay at his worst. He logged into his computer and opened up the chat bubble. Strangely, his friend wasn’t online like usually. Either way, he typed in a ‘good morning’ and pressed enter. After getting the lifesaving shower and putting his clothes on, Shaun returned to his room and saw a blinking message from Clay.

 **Hastings:** good morning

 **Claz:** morning. I’m coming up as fast as I can, boss called me in

‘Boss? What on earth does he want from Clay?’ He didn’t know what worried him most, the fact that he knew so much about the temper their ‘boss’ had or that he had no clue of who the man actually was. The past two months, he hadn’t had the honor of meeting the man behind their tasks.

 **Hastings:** Don’t worry, I’ll bring coffee

_[Claz logged out]_

*

**Tuesday, 10am**

Hours passed and Clay didn’t show up. It couldn’t possibly take that long to discuss an issue. However, Shaun continued working and, in the corner of his eye, kept check on the glass door just in case, expecting his friend to come through it any moment. His expectations were fulfilled when a stressed out Clay entered and opaqued the windows behind him. “What’s up..?” Clay rolled a chair to Shaun’s side and sat down, putting his elbows on the desk. “You won’t believe what I just saw-!”

His eyes widened after Clay’s detailed story of his journey and discussion with the Boss. “Are you sure of what you saw? I mean, for all you know it could have been anything.” Clay shook his head and moved his hands when speaking, seemingly overwhelmed. “I’m telling you, this whole disappearance thing with scientists and engineers is real and out of everything, Abstergo is responsible for it. What happens down there is wrong and God, we must tell someone!” Shaun frowned and sat back, thinking with his thumb placed on his lip. “We can’t. Who have you thought of telling? Other employees? Outside world? It’s not happening, not on our conditions.” Silence fell over the office and tension built up. As true as it was, what Clay had told him would blow up the media around the world if it ever leaked. Unfortunately Abstergo would always be there to wipe it up with some sloppy explanation.  

“We could use a computer, right? Just send everything to the right person,” he stuttered, gripping his hair lightly. “Don’t be ridiculous. They will get you the second you even think of doing it. If there is any chance, then it’s getting access to a computer that isn’t being watched.” Clay looked up slightly startled. “You mean..?” Shaun nodded and sighed. “Forget it, there’s no way to do it. It requires a key to the lower floors.” That’s when it hit him, the insane idea that his brain rejected but his heart was telling him to go through with. “I know a way and it’s very risky...”

“Tell me everything.”

*

**Wednesday, 13pm**

Shaun was in his room where his plan would take place. He’s thought it through carefully and of the consequences that might come with it. From someone else’s perspective, it would even look like bravery. Taking off his shirt and messing his hair up a bit, he looked himself in the mirror and took a deep breath. “Here I go-,” he said before slamming his head against the mirror that cracked and shattered down to the floor and into the sink with a high pitched sound. On the way down, his jaw met the sink’s edge and dislocated from the hit, followed by cracked glasses that cut his cheek along with small shards getting stuck. Blood dripped here and there, staining the floor and his chest. In the wall’s corner, a red button was placed in case of an occurred accident. He pushed it and within a minute he was surrounded by nurses, one of them being Mrs Walker. “Put him on the stretcher, carefully,” she said to her subordinates who pulled Shaun up and placed between the long handles. Dizzy but conscious, he watched the endless ceiling run before his eyes. Thanks to an elevator’s clank he knew that they were headed for the underground, exactly where he needed to be. “What happened to me?” he played the role of a clueless victim while the nurses moved his body to a solid bed.

“You’re in the hospital wing, you fell. Do you remember?” Mrs Walker asked him in a calm manner. “I was getting out..” he mumbled and closed his eyes from pain in his jaw. “Doesn’t look like you broke anything, does it hurt here?” she pressed her fingers gently against his ribs. “No, but my jaw.”

Mrs Walker took out the glass shards from his face and upper body with swift hand movements. Everything stank alcohol and his wounds felt like they were on fire. Nothing he couldn’t handle but unpleasant nonetheless. “You should be careful, Shaun. We don’t want to lose you this early,” she said and smiled, possibly from the irony in her words. “Have you grown attached to me? I’m flattered, really.” Minutes earlier, a doctor had fixed his jaw with brutal force but it wouldn’t stop Shaun from talking. He had a goal to fulfill. “You do know what I have to do now, don’t you?” she opened a drawer full of ready to use syringes. “Knock me out, got it,” he chuckled and waited for her to get the right one. It would only take a second but he had to be quick to escape. Lucky for him, Clay was waiting to take over. “Lay down, Shaun..” she said and held it up, letting some air bubbles out. Acting hastily, he ripped it out of her hands and stuck it into her arm, pushing the content into her blood system. Her eyes blinked a couple of times before her eyelids slid down and her body relaxed in his arms. Searching through her pockets he tried to find the key card leading to either her room or any other laboratory. The piece of plastic felt warm on his palm and he tried to find the exit where Clay was waiting for him. “Took you long,” he said when Shaun appeared on the main floor. “Get inside, I must be back within five minutes. Do you have everything you need?” he asked Clay who nodded with excitement in his eyes. “We’re actually doing it, are we?” Shaun looked at his feet and back at the number panel. “Return to your room right after you have sent the message. Here is the coat,” he handed a white wrapped up laboratory coat in his arms. “Time to show Abstergo what we really are made of,” Clay exclaimed and watched the doors open, blue light streaming inside. He disappeared behind the metal doors and left Shaun feeling tense.

The white light blended him as he returned to the hospital wing and avoided doctors who seemed to hurry somewhere. As expected, no one had entered the room he left Mrs Walker unconscious in. He sat down and shook her, trying to wake her up from the drug. At first it gave no effect but as time passed, she returned to her senses. “Hastings..? You’re not supposed to be up.” He smiled some and helped her sit up straight. “You passed out right before my eyes. Are you okay?” Despite her struggle to remember, she simply couldn’t. “It isn't like me to pass out,” she said and scanned the room for the syringe she was sure she had in her hand but couldn’t find it. Assuming that she really had lost her consciousness, she let go of the topic. “Was I gone for long?” Shaun shrugged lightly and sat down on the bed next to her. “You were so beautiful that I mistook you for the sleeping beauty, but was too scared to give you a kiss. The least I want is to be accused of sexual assault.”

A shy smile painted her red lips, impossible to wipe off with any tissue. “Quite the flirt, are we?” It was true, he was fond of her, even attracted in a way he couldn’t explain because it wasn’t lust. “Just was an innocent joke, alright?” Laughter and silence, it felt static. “Nothing innocent in what you said. I will tell the guards to lead you back to your room and please, for the love of God, do not fall. I will not pick you up again.”

“As you say, mam,” he gave his head a scratching massage and stood up when the guards arrived to the door. They held his arms and lead him into the elevator. Shaun prayed that Clay would wait for him upstairs.

As if nothing had happened, he once again laid in his bed that had been done while he was absent. Clay hadn’t contacted him in any way, not through the chat, not by coming down with his stupid smile and knocking on the door. Although he was sure Clay had entered safely into the lab, there was no way telling if he had made it out again. Since no one had slammed his own door open and pushed him down the floor forcefully, he could assume that they at least had no clue that he was involved. Sooner or later, Mrs Walker would realize that one of her cards is missing and suspect Shaun. He took a deep breath and closed his tired eyes, resting on the bed which sank to fit his shape.

**Friday, 9am**

Two days had passed ever since Clay walked into the lab with a camera and notebook, with the task to expose Abstergo’s absurd secrets. Had he succeeded? Shaun removed his glasses and rubbed his dry eyes that had witnessed yet another sleepless night. The office felt emptier with each hour that passed, the clock mocking his feelings with its sarcastic tick-tack. Getting himself a transparent ashtray, he fished up Clay’s cigarettes and lighter with smileys on. If there was something Shaun felt like doing, it wasn’t to smile. He clicked the lighter and saw how the small fire danced on top of it, caressing the cigarette with its flame. It hit his lungs pretty quick, causing a violent coughing attack but he refused to give in and inhaled again. Bitterness stuck to his tongue and the disgust as well, yet it felt like a sweet escape. “How the hell did you take this shit?” he asked Clay, receiving a smile from the blond. “Just like you are now, pal. It’ll pass, it always does.” Shaun shook his head and laughed. “You’d know, right?” Clay nodded and reached out to put the cigarette away from Shaun’s hands. “It’ll kill you quicker. Don’t risk it.” Once again, the room got quiet with a lonely echo of other’s footsteps from the outside. The chair, just like Shaun’s eyes, was empty.

“Hastings, you’ve got mail from the Medical Department,” a man said when opening the door, holding a small envelope in his hand. “I ain’t expecting anything,” he said but got up and took it. “Sign here..” he held up a paper for him that Shaun put a simple cross on. After that, the man left and Shaun could sit down to take a look at the content. _‘Why would she send me a letter when she could have called for me..?’_ Assuming that it was Mrs Walker, it made no sense. When he had ripped the side off to get the paper out, a small object fell and bounced under the desk. ‘What..’ A squared piece of plastic, relatable to a microchip was laying on the floor before him. Picking it up, he placed it on the table and took out the letter to read, his heart slowly turning heavy.

 _“Hey, pal. I’m sorry that this letter has to be our way of saying good bye. I’ll pretend we did it with a cup of coffee. Hear me out and burn this letter as soon as you’re done, we can’t risk our plan and, well, sacrifice to be in vain. That microchip is what I’ve managed to capture on camera on floor -3, it’s pretty disturbing..”_ Shaun squeezed the paper lightly, giving it a wrinkly surface. _“Either way, I’m glad we can put this to an end. You’ve been a great friend like no one else in this God forgotten purgatory. I have a copy of the codes they use to access the laboratory and then it’s up to you to reprogram it for the vent system. There are four guards on that floor, two by the doors and two by the elevator. If you find yourself in danger, use the ventilation system to hide, or better, escape. -Clay”_   His vision blurred the last few sentences but he still continued reading, again and again. Picking up the tiny microchip, he stared at the key to his freedom that Clay had fought for. Shaun stood up and walked to the office equipment drawer and took two pieces of tape to stick and hide it under his shirt. _‘There aren’t enough words to describe how sorry I am, Clay.’_

**Sunday, 11pm**

It truly was disturbing, what Abstergo had been doing for years underground. Whenever Shaun’s eyes closed, he replayed what he had seen on the microchip under the eyelids and wished he could unsee the horror-like content. “Let’s just say they’ll win an Oscar for scariest shit on the planet, if they made a movie that is,” he spoke quietly. “I told you so,” Clay sat by his bed with a tired expression. The ash that stuck out from Shaun’s cigarette dropped on his shirt and forced him up before it got damaged. “You know, I never thought you liked me that much. I mean, you smiled and stuff but I assumed it only was a part of who you are,” he looked at the blond man who now leaned back against the wall. “I never told you that I considered you being a friend.” Sunset at the horizon painted the sky red before it turned navy blue, filling the night with stars that blinked at him with curious eyes. “I knew you did, don’t worry. Are you saying this because you feel guilt?” Shaun smiled at that. “No way I feel guilty..” It was a lie, just like many other lies he had told to protect himself from inner pain. This illusion was simply one of them. He’s been spending hours talking into emptiness with hope that someday, just maybe, he’ll find the real thing in front of him.

“I honestly thought of you as a drug addict at first. You were very pale and happy, that’s not normal.” His imaginative friend hit him lightly in the shoulder but disappeared once someone knocked on the door. “The fuck..” It was someone he had least expected to see. “Mrs Walker?” he stepped back. “Hello, Shaun. Am I disturbing you?” she peeked inside. “I thought I heard you talk to someone,” she furrowed her brows before relaxing her face again. “I simply came to check on you. May I come in?” He chuckled and crossed his arms. “How about a ‘please’..” It brought that little smile to her face and she walked in anyway with her heels echoing in the hall only to fade away. “I see you’re imitating an 18th century train,” she commented and looked at the cigarettes. “I like trains,” he sat down on the bed. “Always dreamt of having a railway as a child.” Her long hair was shining in the light from above. “It is a serious health issue, Shaun. If you have a problem, don’t turn to cigarettes. I also happen to work as a psychologist.” Nothing seemed inviting enough for him in the offer she gave. “No thanks, I’m good as I am. I quite enjoy the taste,” he lit another one and exhaled. It slowly burned out, spreading its stank in the room. “She’s a smart woman,” Clay said while standing by the wide window, looking outside as if he was longing for someone to show up. “Shut up,” he mumbled but not quietly enough since Mrs Walker picked up on it. “Who are you talking to?” she looked at the direction Shaun did, then back at him when not finding the receiver.

“It’s none of your business. You should leave.”

“I think it’s better if you talk to me-”

“Get out, will you-!?”

She stood up, slightly alarmed by his behavior. “You know where to find me otherwise..” She left the room quickly. Shaun buried his face in his knees and felt how his chest suddenly felt pressured, how hard it was to breathe. _‘I don’t need help’._

*

“You know, you should try to smile more often. I read an article where they claimed that it can affect your well being.” Ruby, the new coworker Shaun had to deal with, didn’t know how to close his mouth. He’s heard it all, from how birds breed to alien invasion. Honestly, he was grateful that Ruby didn’t expect and actual conversation from Shaun, but some things just got him. “I heard that the tongue is the strongest muscle, though it’s considered a myth. I should call them right away and say that you confirm it.” Not caring much about Shaun’s pessimism, he continued talking about something that Shaun no longer listened to.

It wasn’t until he heard a word that triggered his attention. “Say that again..” Ruby looked at him with surprise on his face and said, “.. I got punished for being lousy?” he looked at him. “Not that, the sentence after that.”

“I worked at the laboratory before?” Shaun bit his lip and nodded. “You must be clever then, I’m sorry I underestimated you,” he said and looked away. Was this a coincidence or was someone playing with him? It could be a set up to get to know if Shaun knew anything about what Clay had to do down there. “You underestimated me? Come on, give me a chance already. We could become buddies too, eventually that is.” Shaun looked up and smiled for the first time in days. “You bet we will be. Best friend.”

Far underground at the science department, two white clothed men were closing for the night. It was a simple task, making sure no equipment was out of place, that nothing was spilled on the floor, all electronic devices were on autopilot with emergency execution on and most importantly, that the radiation chambers were locked and turned off. Everything had gone smoothly and looked absolute. Once they passed the control panel, they noticed that one of the lights was blinking in a red color. “I think something has gotten stuck in the delivery box, I’ll go check on it.” The delivery box was used to send letters from department to department and all over Abstergo’s ground. The man froze instantly as the box was in his full view, along with something that did not belong there. He instantly ran out and put on a hazmat suit before pressing a button that sealed the area. Picking up his walkie-talkie, he informed his colleague about the emergency. “Inform everyone at the mail department to immediately seek treatment if their eyes and tongues get swollen - this is code 055. I repeat, this is code 055.” Shivers ran down his spine when he looked inside the round window. Close to the mailbox laid a man spread out on the floor, his skin bleeding. That wasn’t what worried the employee most, it was the man's detached arm that was sticking out from the box hatch.


	5. Lab rat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait! Since I am a student, I have a lot of college work to do and very little time to write on my own. I will try to update as frequently as possible, but quality beats quantity, right?

“Just look at this, Shaun..” he held up the camera towards blue lit chambers with liquid of some sort filling it. Dusin of cables and wires stuck out from the top of each chamber. “I have mixed emotions. Cruel fascination. Am I right?” 

Shaun gazed at the video that played on the small screen of a portable player that he had borrowed from Ruby. No matter how many times he replayed it, it still got under his skin. Various body parts were laying on examination tables with other medical equipment. Some were even packed up in a fridge, properly sealed with a vacuum machine. “You won’t believe this, it’s a titanium skeleton and it has a thin layer of muscles on its face. Kind of gross..” He touched the screen gently and turned the video off after Clay said: “Shit-, someone is he-...” 

After brushing through his hair with his slender fingers, Shaun got up and left his room to find a more peaceful place. Two months ago, he had sit and gazed over a huge empty field and imagine that someone had an epic battle right there. Perhaps with a thermos filled with deliciously brewed coffee and a scone. Now all the options he had was a captive garden that was way too cold to sit in anyway. Ruby had tried to get closer to him but it went very slow, Shaun keeping him on a safe distance subconsciously. Despite that, they hadn’t had a single argument since the first day they met and Shaun had all the intentions on keeping it that way. Whether or not Abstergo had sent Ruby to spy on him or not, he couldn’t afford Clay’s work go to waste.

*

Mrs Walker had just ended her shift when the Boss called and ordered her to step by his office. It made her slightly nauseous but either way, she obeyed. With a light knock on the door, she entered his office, only to find him sipping on his precious $500 whiskey. “Come, sit,” he turned to face her and watched her heels move closer. “We have a big problem here..” he said and moved a glass towards her, filled with the same liquor. “Take it, you will need it.” Something about his words made her feel uneasy. It must have been the tone. After taking the drink in her hand, she corrected her slim glasses and took a sip. “There’s this body we found at the laboratory, belonging to someone who doesn’t belong there. Do you have any clue who I’m talking about?” 

Tension spread like thick fog over the office. Her face was calm, but her eyes startled. “When you ordered us to examine the possibly infected workers, you never mentioned a body involved in the picture. Is that the reason to this commotion?” He chuckled and finished off the content in his glass. “Smart girl, yes. That is exactly why. Does the name Clay Kaczmarek ring a bell? Anything?” Mrs Walker shook her head and crossed her legs, leaning back. “I have examined him before, he works on the second floor as a programmer if I remember correctly. I assume you mean he’s the body?” The Boss seemed bitter about the matter. “We found him in the restricted area, radiation chambers that are only opened with an encrypted key of class S,” he stood up and walked around the table to stop behind her chair. “When we checked the access log, we found something rather interesting..” Putting his strong hands on her shoulders, he leaned in. “And that would be what, sir?” she swallowed and tapped her fingers against the table edge. 

“It registered someone who was supposed to be on duty in a whole different building. A Keira Walker..” His words sent shivers down her spine, touching every nerve in her body like strings on a guitar. It was a surprising revelation. “The real question is, where were you? No cameras captured the face of the intruder, nor the one who it truly belongs to.” She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, not letting him see how shaken she actually was. “Someone doesn’t know how to do their job right,” Keira let a small smile lift her lips with a sarcastic tone ringing. “I was taking care of a patient in the medical block, just where I was supposed to work. He had slipped in the shower. I took care of his flesh wounds, gave him the necessary medication and let him return to his dorm. Two other doctors can confirm that I didn’t leave the floor until my shift ended. If you are going to chase a ghost, sir, I can assure you it’s not my expertise area.” The Boss did not seem very amused, in fact quite bitter and ready to snap. However, he held in his inner anger and made his way back around the desk to take his seat. “Did you enjoy the whiskey?” It was an odd question but she nodded in response. “Dismissed.. If I ever see you on any of the cameras, or even hear that you’ve been somewhere else than assigned, I won’t hesitate with my actions.” Keira stood up and turned around, trying her best to keep her walking moderately slow and steady. As fast as she left the office, she leaned against a wall and took a few deep, very needed, breaths. If there was a person absolutely everyone was frightened of, it was the Boss without question. Others looked at her through their transparent glasses in blue light, probably feeling some kind of pity and understanding. They’ve all heard endless amount of shouting coming from that room. 

*

“You seem in distress, something the matter?” Ruby approached Shaun who looked ready to hang himself. The dark bags really made a huge contrast to his pale and unnourished skin, untouched by sunlight for what must've been a month or two. “Didn’t get enough sleep, that’s all. Are you ready with the monthly report?” Shaun asked and rubbed his face with his palm. The stitches were still healing on his eyebrow and cheek. “Long ago, I keep my deadlines,” Ruby smiled some and sat down in his chair. Shaun was no longer concerned over his new so called friend. Ruby still hadn’t done anything, or even tried to do anything that could be viewed as suspicious. He had learned that perhaps the only thing wrong here was his own paranoia not letting him shut his eyes at night.

“You haven’t complained at all this whole time you’ve lived at Abstergo. Does everything really satisfy you..?” Ruby looked up at him with surprise playing on his eyebrows. The question itself wasn’t wrong but he couldn’t really agree on the statement either. “I would guess that this is much better than being six feet underground, right?” he smiled some and avoided looking back at Shaun who nodded lightly. “Can you keep a secret?” Shaun finally said, taking a deep breath afterwards as if collecting himself. “What’s the deal?”

Shaun got up and walked over to his bag, picking up the portable player. The other man couldn’t take his eyes off of the appeared object that happened to be his and scooted closer to Shaun as he sat down. “Last thing that is left of my previous colleague,” he murmured and turned the device on. Its screen flickered to life and with the push of a button, the content visualized. Ruby gulped at Shaun’s words and made himself comfortable in his office chair. Once again Clay’s blue-lit face appeared, fascination shining through his expression. Metal and flesh, blood and scalpels. It was directly taken from a horror movie, or so Shaun wished it had been. Unfortunately, that was real life and happening right now under their feet. From time to time, Ruby would let out a gasp or two, tensing his body. “That’s a brain, why’s it not in the skull..?” Sighing after having had enough of the footage, Shaun stopped the tape and shut the screen. Heaviness in his chest only felt worse. Time wouldn’t heal this wound no matter what. Few silent seconds later, Ruby scratched his head and flinched when he remembered the brain, removing his hand. “Well, that is certainly something. Fully understandable that he didn’t make it out alive. Why are you showing me this?” Shaun wished he could say that it was to ease the burden of holding it in by himself, but it was yet another lie because in the end, he wanted more than that from Ruby. “You and I will go down, if you are willing to help me that is.”

Hair rose on Ruby’s spine and head as well, his usual cheerful self gone with the wind. If there was a wind there. It took some minute for Ruby to ease his tensed body and speak up. “Right.. what is going on in your head, Shaun?” Of course, it was no surprise to him that Ruby thought of him as a madman, all lost in his grief and perhaps vengefulness. Ruby’s face softened and he looked at his hands, fiddling some with them. “If you absolutely know what you are doing, then for all I know, I shall help. Not so much for your sake,” he laughed some, “but to save my own skin too.” They both grinned at the insane thought and the atmosphere cleared. Eventually, both men stood up and made their way out from the office, Shaun carrying his report under his arm. He dropped it off on his way out, when Mrs Walker appeared around the corner. Glancing at him and Ruby, she seemed like she had found who she seeked. “Mr Hastings, Mr Tennor. Good day,” she smiled politely at Shaun’s coworker. “I see that your stitches are healing quite well.” Shaun rolled up his sleeves and shrugged. “You always do such fine stitches, Mrs Walker. How could they possibly bother me?” Ruby seemed awkward and pretended to interact with his phone. Mrs Walker was close enough to sense the stench of smoke coming from Shaun’s clothes, making her nose try to dismiss it. “You should consider stopping as soon as possible,” she commented. “However, that’s not why I came here.” Shaun made a theatrical disappointed face. “And I honestly thought you had missed me,” he shook his head with a smile and then focused on her. “Can you please come down with me to the medical facility? I promise, it won’t take very long,” she looked at Ruby to ensure him of that. Ruby nodded and said goodbye to Shaun before leaving, Mrs Walker taking me to the endless labyrinth of elevators. It stank of antiseptics as usual, naturally being the only dominating smell in the block. Mrs Walker dragged her card and opened the door to the examination room. She put on latex gloves while Shaun sat down on the bed and prepared himself for whatever she had in mind to do with him. “Do the scars hurt?” she patted them with her thumb carefully, leaning his face to the side. The scar tissue was very thin and pink, healing rather smoothly. 

“I have a hard time believing you would call me just for this,” he said slowly. And he was frankly correct, because when she was done looking at his stitches, she walked over to her desk and unlocked it with a key. In there were several folders and papers, a yellow one laying on the very top. “Are you familiar with all corridors in the main building and the living area?” 

_ ‘What?’ _

She looked back at Shaun to see his reaction, meeting pure confusion. “Uh, yes, I am,” he quickly said and stared at the folder. Mrs Walker didn’t keep him waiting too long and joined him on the examination bed. Handing over the folder, she smiled some. “I am aware of what you two have done.” Shock. Shaun was startled and his hands shook, cold sweat quickly forming on his palms. Before he had the chance to protest, she continued. “I have seen plenty people like you two, desperate to get away from here. It is quite amazing how fear alters people, making them do things like these.” She made a pause and Shaun used the moment to open the folder. “I don’t understand,” he looked up. Was this some kind of trick? However, Mrs Walker didn’t look the slightest amused. “Can you read blueprints? This folder contains a few that I consider to be most important, as well as directions and some codes. You look like someone who actually has a good chance of leaving this place.”

“Aren’t you taking a huge risk by giving me these? Where did you get them anyway?” Now, there, was amusement in her eyes. “I may not be the ordinary nurse you know me by. I have reached the point where I have very little to lose. Maybe you are my ticket out of here.” Shaun was flattered that she seemed to rely on him, yet he hated how she made it sound like he was a tool for her own sweet escape. Whatever her reasons were for helping him, he couldn’t afford to deny help and information like this. “The blueprints are for the different switches and gears in the security system. Find weak spots and use them to get through. Shouldn’t be hard with your new friend either.” It was true. Ruby had spent years working with security systems and various equipment. In fact, he was the youngest in his group to end with a diploma. Sighing, Shaun scratched his skull and took a quick look at the papers, unsure of what he was searching for. “You also owe me for taking my card and putting me to sleep. I could have been somewhere else right now.” Shaun apologised and sat up. “Don’t disappoint me, Shaun.”

He quickly left with the folder under his shirt as disguise. Once he crossed the hall to the sleeping area, he remembered how that man had run out from the elevator and screamed his soul out, as if he had hoped it would manage to escape from his trapped body. The thought alone sent shivers down his spine. It didn’t take long to reach Ruby’s room, the man positioned in his bed and listening to some music. With a light knock on the shoulder, his eyes flew up. “Hey, did you escape alive?” he joked. Shaun however didn’t like the sound of it, even if Ruby meant no harm. His gaze quickly fell to the object Shaun carried under his shirt. “What’s that?” Shaun sat down and pulled the yellow folder out, opening it. “I don’t know why or even how, but I think Mrs Walker is trying to help us escape. Take a look,” he handed him the folder. One minute, two minutes.. Ruby studied the papers. His face seemed concentrated and surprised. “I must say, it’s great. As if she gave us the direct exit. I can work with this,” he looked up. Shaun was relieved to say the least and pat Ruby’s shoulder. “I am counting on you. How long do you need to prepare everything?”

“Maximum a day, I just need to do simple math on some.”

With those words said, Ruby begun his work. Shaun would bring him coffee and a snack, not really caring to go back to his own room.  _ ‘How can I sleep when I have no dreams?’ _ Papers were scattered all over the floor with notes scribbled on the sides with messy handwriting and the Abstergo logo, mocking and threatening them both. Ruby was surprisingly organised with his marks. Triangles showed cameras and which way they faced, circles showed lasers and crosses showed the desired destination. He also drew straight lines in the middle of the hallway map. “This is the shortest way to the nearest exit to us. Not out of the building, but a way in. Are we bringing anyone with us? Mrs Walker?” Shaun eyed him because of the amused tone Ruby possessed but only nodded. “She deserves a try to get out. We obtained this thanks to her after all.” Three people, limited time and corridors filled with security. Could the scenario be any better?

“Also,” Shaun added, “I want to visit the lab. Before Clay’s recording was interrupted, he saw something. A person. Maybe someone I knew from before, but I ain’t sure. Can you count that in?” Ruby seemed skeptical but gave it a try and put a cross on the lab where Clay met his fate. He gave Shaun a pitiful smile. “He would have been proud of this. Of you too.”

Another day brought yet another boring task. Ruby and Shaun haven’t spoken about their plans since last night, giving their mind a rest. Mrs Walker would have passed a few times but never spoken to either of them. Perhaps she was staying out of it to look less involved. The office was buzzing with life today, people trying to finish their tasks in time. It was that time of the month when you got your pay and if you weren’t done, you’d get punished. The money wasn’t much, quite symbolic but it still provided snacks, cigarettes and orders you could ask a manager for. The clock was once again ticking in his mind, tick-tack. Only some more hours.. and he’d get to look at everything Clay had witnessed during his last hours alive. Ruby seemed excited too, mixed with anxiety. It all looked good on paper but their journey could end by the next unfortunate turn. He repeated Ruby’s words in his head.  _ ‘To get to the lab, we must stroll past the cameras in the main hall, unlock the elevator, get out through the opening above and climb into the elevator shaft.’  _ Shaun found it sounding easy. Too easy.  _ ‘Then we climb to the -1 floor and use its ventilation system to slide down to floor -3 without key card. That way we don’t trigger any systems. Then comes the hard part, the lab. It has a separate ventilation so we can’t get into it. To enter it, we must unlock the door.’  _ Splendid. Shaun tapped his fingers annoyed on his keyboard. Clay had done it, he knew what he did, yet he got locked in and.. Shaun avoided thinking about it. 

In the end of the day, they left the office floor and went home. Ruby went to his room and said he’d drop by around 11 pm. How Mrs Walker would know when they were taking off, remained a mystery. Shaun logged into his computer opened the chat.  _ ‘Has it really been that long?’  _ The chat didn’t blink anymore and the date was old.  _ Last active: one week ago.  _ The words cut into his mind. 

**Hastings:** Don’t worry, I’ll bring coffee

_ [Claz logged out] _

_ [Hastings logged in] _

_ [Hastings is typing…] _

What would he write even? He had started with something like a greeting, but it was pointless. Shaun sat in front of the screen for what must have been an hour, because the light in his room automatically darkened. In the end, he made up his mind and started typing again. He kept erasing it until he wrote a short sentence and pressed enter. When time had come, Ruby knocked on the door to Shaun’s room and went in. “Hey.. are you awake?” he squinted in the dark room. Shaun was fully awake and Ruby could tell by the smoke that rose to the ceiling. “Thought so. Are you ready to go? Mrs Walker is outside the door.” Shaun sat up and took a small bag from the bed. “Yeah, I am coming.” They both left his room and glanced at the nurse who looked surprisingly casual. “Shall we proceed?” she smiled some. 

*

Once they had avoided the cameras in the main hall, the trio made their way to the middle elevator and took it to level -1. “Do you think you can open the hatch?” Ruby seemed offended by the question. “Someone, help me up..” Shaun picked Ruby up and Mrs Walker helped as well by holding the other leg. He twisted the screws and in the end pushed the hatch open. Quickly, he pulled himself up and held a hand down. Mrs Walker grabbed it and dragged herself up, Shaun helping by staying with her feet on his shoulders. When he was the only one left, they both helped him up. “Let’s see.. if I am not mistaken, and I ain’t, we must take the ventilation to the left..” Ruby switched on a light on his head and sat closer to the vent. As quickly as he had undone the elevator hatch, he undid the vent as well. Mrs Walker shifted her position, since the cables and other sharp things were not suitable for sitting on. “You might want to take it easy and hold the sides with your feet and hands. It’s quite uncomfortable. Go down head first.” After giving his instructions, he started making his way through the ventilation with his palms holding his body up. When even his legs disappeared, Mrs Walker begun her journey. “Ladies first,” Shaun said with amusement ringing in his tone. “In that case, Ruby is a lady.” Shaun hadn’t expected her to have her humor right now, but he was used to those moments. “Alright, Mrs Walker.” She looked back at him and sighed. “You make me sound quite old and we are running away. Getting slightly closer could be good. Call me Keira.” Shaun nodded and tasted the name on his tongue by repeating it. She made her way into the vent and Shaun followed her shortly.  

It all went well until he felt the elevator move and was forced by the impulse to throw his body inside. His palms slipped and he fell face down into Keira, the chain reaction continuing with her losing the grip and falling into Ruby who almost was at the end. Choking their screams, they all fell down into one big painful pile. The vent didn’t hold and they were spat out like trash onto the floor. It took a minute for the trio to get up and rub their throbbing joints. “The hell happened?” Keira hissed at Shaun. He caught his breath and mumbled, “The elevator. It moved. I was just half way inside…” No one else said anything and they brushed themselves off. “Pray to god that the guards down notice that..” Ruby pointed at the vent that was flopping high up on the ceiling. He then got his tools out while Shaun and Keira stood and looked out for anyone who could disturb the peace. Silent echo spread in the white hall, clicking and metal against metal. “Then we connect this and..” The door swung open, Ruby grinning with satisfaction. Picking up superglue, he took the frame and glued it back onto the panel. Blue light shone on them, illuminating all white that they were wearing. “This is the lab, but not the one,” Shaun said and lead the group. “Are you looking for the tubes?” Keira’s question was awfully accurate. “Yes, the laboratory where they have humans. Do you know where it is?” Naturally, Keira knew all about it. She lead the way and reached a huge metal door. It must be at least two times two meters, because when Shaun stopped next to it, he could barely reach the upper edge. “If anyone has dynamite, that would be great,” he said, doubting that he’d ever enter otherwise. 

Yet, Ruby had another trick up his sleeve. He took out a small card and put it into a device, then attached the device to the huge door. “Theoretically, this works on doors like these..” he entered a command and watched the flickering numbers and letters. It took a while, and everyone were nervous. When the numbers stopped, he removed it. Moment of truth. 

He took the card and slid it. “Click”

Sighs of relief spread in the room. The door opened some and Shaun helped it open wider. “This is a radioactive area, don’t touch anything unless you must,” Shaun reminded them. Still lit up by blue lights, the room gave them a bad feeling. It wasn’t bloody like on the tape but it still felt like pain filled it up. Apparently, there was a small corridor leading out from the chamber room that was empty. It had normal light and had several doors on both sides with a small opening of glass on each. “Do you think there are people there.. or something else..?” 

It was completely silent, except for their loud breathing, all rooms empty except one that had light in it. Shaun’s heartbeat rose. Maybe he’d finally meet Rebecca.. With shaky hands, he held up the card and looked into the small round glass. In there, he met a pair of brown eyes.

But they were not Rebecca’s.


	6. Breakthrough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy moly, it's been some years. It plagues my heart to see kudos left on this story, knowing the new chapters will probably never see the light. I've had this in my pocket for what, two years now? It was about time I treated you all. It isn't complete, but it is good as it is.
> 
> Thank you for all the support and love I have received from you, you have no idea how much I really appreciate it! <3

Those desperate eyes.  
Shaun looked back at the man behind the glass and hesitated to open it. “Do you know him?” Ruby asked with a hopeful tone but Shaun shook his head. “Never seen anyone like him before.” Keira shifted, as if unsure if she should speak up or not. When she had collected her thoughts, she asked, “Are we bringing him anyway? He deserves better than this.” Ruby turned and looked like he disagreed. “But what if he is dangerous!” 

“We are bringing him,” Shaun said quickly, completely ignoring Ruby’s protests. With one movement of his hand, the card key unlocked the door, heavy metal sliding to the side. The man had backed away as if scared that these people would hurt him. Shaun couldn’t blame him, knowing how Abstergo had treated the other man and their own employees. Humans weren’t people to them. Reaching out his hand slowly, he didn’t know where to start. “Hey, we won’t hurt you. We aren’t with Abstergo,” he begun with a calm voice. As calm as he possibly could produce. The man looked at all of them quickly and stopped backing away, simply observing Shaun’s next move. “Do you understand me?” The man seemed more relaxed when he understood that they were not working at the lab. Taking in Shaun’s question, he nodded. ‘Can he even speak...?’

“Well, we are running away from here. Into safety.” Shaun could hardly believe it was safe, but anywhere was better than there. “Do you want to follow us?” The man hesitated, looked away and back at his bed that was untouched. ‘He hadn’t slept in his bed at all,’ Shaun thought and swallowed. When the man faced them again, he had some kind of smile on his lips, but it was hard to decide if it actually was one. Stepping closer to the group of strangers, the man took Shaun’s hand, who nearly flinched. “Alright, Ruby. Which path do we take now?” With bitterness, Ruby looked down at his papers and pointed at the ‘x’ mark. “There is an underground supply hall where they transport goods and medical equipment to other buildings. If I have calculated correctly, it’s not very far to the exit. Hopefully there are no guards, but I doubt our luck with that.” Keira crossed her arms. “Perhaps we can use the fact that I am a nurse.” Their eyes shifted to her. “Go on?” She cleared her throat and took the papers. “This hall is sometimes used by nurses to dispose of medicaments and to receive packages. I doubt the Boss is up this late to check on my activity in the building, and when he does, we will be long gone.” Ruby seemed to like the idea but Shaun popped the bubble. “We are hardly nurses, nor doctors. How do we three sneak by unnoticed? Surely three men and a nurse are suspicious together.” That’s when Keira smiled. “Then I simply will have to take out the trash.”  
*  
The rolling wheels of a big storage drawer echoed down the grey and chilly underground corridor. Usually, they’d be used to transport oxygen tanks and other massive equipment. Not this time, because it contained organic material. Very vulnerable organisms. 

Keira walked slowly and let it roll by itself, pushing it lightly from time to time. As expected, a guard stood by the exit, massive doors behind his back and a gun around his shoulder. He seemed rather confused by her presence and held his weapon tighter. “Stop right there,” he held up his hand and stepped forward. “Is there a problem?” she asked him, tipping her glasses. “I haven’t received any orders to let anyone out. Do you have a pass?”  
‘Do I,’ she wondered too.

“Naturally,” she answered him calmly, although she was growing nervous on the inside. As she pretended to search her pockets, the guard grew impatient and stepped forward again. “I must insist that you leave this area immediately-” he started but was interrupted by a strong hit to his knees with the drawer’s door. Some seconds of hesitation were enough for Shaun to climb out and throw a fist to the left. Ruby crawled out shortly and they both overpowered the man with hits and kicks. The guard finally lost his consciousness and spread out like a star on the floor with blood stains here and there. The janitors would not be pleased with that. Ruby took his gun and checked that it was loaded, which it naturally was. “That’s it? I imagined a war zone,” he chuckled and let his foot kick the guard’s leg lightly. “Don’t,” Shaun warned. “It might wake him up.” The man from the lab was curled up in a ball inside the drawer, peeking out at the stretched-out guard. He didn’t seem to like the scene at all, because he hid his face. Keira leaned in and looked at him. “Hey, it’s alright. It was a bad guy and it was necessary. Please come out, alright,” she reached out her hand for him and waited, until he finally took it and crawled out. 

Keira let go of the man and headed to the card lock and swiped it. No effect, not even a click. “What on earth-” She tried again and again but it kept rejecting her. 

Footsteps. They were getting closer, but were nowhere to be seen. 

Their pulse rose and Ruby took over to open the door, with the same luck as Keira had. He tried with his wonder machine, but it took time. Time, they no longer had. Without warning, the sirens were brought to life and bounced a horrible screech to the corridor and back at them. The man closed his ears, and what Shaun personally thought, tried to scream with a hoarse throat. “Hurry-,” Keira looked desperate and Shaun pulled out the gun from Ruby’s jeans, holding it firmly in his both hands. He’s never held one before, couldn’t even imagine the weight it possessed. Whoever was after them sure would breathe down their necks soon enough. He pointed the gun towards the end of the hall and waited. Red lights and sirens kept going on and on, just like the screams of the poor confused lab man. A madhouse would have been calmer.

Out from the corner ran what must have been at least five men. At first, they slowed down, but then they rose their guns in the air and pointed at the group. “I’ve got this- It’s loading,” said Ruby with more optimism. Shaun pointed the gun at the men and fired a bullet, hitting one of them in the leg. The man whined and fell, his comrades taking over by firing back. They hid behind the drawer, except for Ruby who took cover by sitting low and hopefully staring at his decoder. “They aren’t the most talkative guys, are they,” Shaun chuckled and shot another bullet at the men. They were getting much closer and all hope fell on a miracle that the door would open in time. The decoder gave away a small beep just in time for Ruby to slide open the door and let Shaun, Keira and the man, to roll away from the drawer. A bullet hit the decoder and shattered it into shreds. 

Shaun ran as if all hell’s hounds were chasing him, so did Keira with a tight grip around the man’s wrist. The patrol shot at them and hit several cars until a gasp echoed in the garage instead.  
Blood spilled out and formed puddles on the ground around Ruby’s knees that he fell on, with his face forward onto the concrete. Shaun’s pulse rose and it got harder to breathe, as if the heartbeats were suffocating him. Somewhere far away he could hear Keira’s voice, demanding him to move on. “Sha..un…! Shaun-!” He snapped back to reality. “He’s gone!” 

Shaun nodded and followed Keira who lead them to a car, throwing in the man into the back seat and sitting down in the driver’s seat. Shaun sat in the back and had to force the man’s head down so they wouldn’t get hurt by the hail of gunshots. Keira started the engine and pulled out from the parking lot with speed of 100km/h. At least Shaun thought so, because he kept hitting the car window uncontrollably when she turned. They attempted a few shots until they couldn’t reach anymore. 

[to be continued]


End file.
